Monument Rock Wilderness Hike
Hike Rating: Easy
Hike
Length: 4.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 250’
Trailhead Elevation: 7,490’
Best
Season: July through September
Driving Access: High-clearance
vehicle,
once access road is
snow-free
Plus Points
• Rare driving access to a high-elevation Wilderness
Area (7,500’)
• Sweeping panoramic views
• Easy hiking on old roads over an open sage-covered
plateau
• Colorful displays of lupine and paintbrush from early
July
• Massive, lichen-covered rock outcrops and old glacial
cirques
• Historical rock cairn that gives the Wilderness its name
Minus
Points
• Afternoon thunderstorms can create lightning strike
hazard
• Driving the last 3 miles of road to trailhead can be
trying (details below)
Download
(PDF, 688 KB): Photos of Monument
Rock Hike
Download
(PDF, 456 KB): Topo Map for
Monument Rock Hike
Download
(PDF, 785 KB): Road Map for Monument Rock
Hike
Trail
Notes
For the first
mile, the trail follows an old road through open sage
slopes until it reaches the mesa top. For great views, walk
north cross-country for a few hundred yards to the ridge
crest. Here, one can see the Elkhorn Range and the distant
Wallowa Mountains to the northeast on a clear day. Look for
elk in the old glacial cirques below the rim.
Continuing along the road for another 0.7 miles, just
before reaching a cross fence, a faint track curves left
(north) toward Bullrun Rock. For more great views, try this
0.5 mile side trip (one way) to the top of Bullrun Rock. It
is worth the extra effort.
To reach
Monument Rock instead, continue south on the main road,
through the wire gate in the fence. After about 0.3 miles,
the trail peters out at a saddle in the midst of a burned
forest. Continue cross-country up the broad crest of the
ridge, up a steep slope, then across the mountaintop to the
monument itself. It’s believed this 8’ high, circular rock
cairn was constructed by bored Basque sheepherders when
grazing their flocks here in the early 1900’s.
Road
to Trailhead
Only the final 3 miles of the access road present any
problems. This section is less maintained and requires a
high clearance vehicle in a few deeply rutted and rocky
spots. Also, the forest burned here in 1989, so
fire-killed, wind-thrown trees can block the road after any
storm. Having a small chainsaw along will ensure access to
the trailhead. After very wet winters, snow drifts can also
block the upper road into early July.
Camping
Options
The closest campground is the Elk Flat Spring Campground,
just 3.5 miles below the trailhead off Road 1370. This is a
pleasant, but primitive, campground featuring six free
campsites scattered around a small grassy meadow, with a
pit toilet, but no water supply. Tents or small camping
trailers will fit in best here.
The next closest option is the Elk Creek Campground, about
15 miles from the trailhead, off paved Road 16. Here are
five free campsites, with a vault toilet, but no drinking
water. This campground will accommodate almost any size
camping trailer.
Agency
Contact: Malheur National Forest,
Prairie City District, (541) 820-3800
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local federal land agencies to
inquire about current conditions before traveling.
Page
last updated: 12/19/11